


Flora and Ink

by mthrfkrgdhrwego (universalchampbalor)



Series: Jimon Week 2k17 [6]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop & Tattoo Parlor, Crossdressing, Discussions of gender, Florist Jace, Genderfluid Character, Genderfluid Jace, Homophobia, Jace being Soft (tm) is the reason I'm alive, Jimon Week, Jimon Week 2017, Language of Flowers, M/M, Nonbinary Character, Slurs, Smoking, Tattoos, Trans Male Character, Trans Simon, Transphobia, hi maryse is a bitch i will fight her, hinted transphobia, kind of???, mentions of medical transitioning, tattoo artist simon, tell me if I missed any tags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-21
Updated: 2017-02-21
Packaged: 2018-09-26 00:04:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9852932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/universalchampbalor/pseuds/mthrfkrgdhrwego
Summary: “We should go on a date. Just. At some point in time.”Day 7- Author's Choice- Flower Shop/ Tattoo Parlor AU





	

**Author's Note:**

> this is really fucking late because i suck and this took me forever to write :)  
> This isn't entirely relevant to the story but I want to add that Jace is abroromantic and cupiosexual (fluid romantic attraction/ ace but still wants sex) and genderfluid while Simon is trans and pansexual

They first met when Jace came in for a tattoo.

Magnus had talked him into going to his roommate’s shop, a tiny derelict looking building labelled DuMort Tattooing.

‘Of Death’. Reassuring.

While the outside of the shop had obviously seen better days, the interior was surprisingly nice. Plush velvet couches lined the waiting room, starting next to the counter and spanning to the adjacent wall. The floor was sleek black marble, reflecting the dim lights. Ornate statues decorated the room.

A bored looking man sat behind the counter, reading something on his phone. He was wearing solid black suit, tattoos peeking out of his sleeves and the collar of his black button up. His black hair was gelled back immaculately.

Jace pulled the sleeves of his sweater down over his hands and walked over to the counter.

“I have an appointment at four with Simon?” He asked, a questioning tone creeping into his voice.

The man raised an eyebrow and turned to the doorway behind him. He called something in Spanish, his voice low and disinterested. A loud shout came back, stilted Spanish mixing with fluid English.

A boy appeared behind the counter.

His brown hair was ruffled and hanging into his chunky glasses. He was smiling, a smear of ink on his cheek. He was wearing a Captain America t-shirt under a bleach stained black and grey flannel. His ripped skinny jeans were tucked into muddy boots.

He stepped out from behind the counter and bounded over to Jace. He was a good half foot shorter than Jace, who had to tilt his head down to look him in the eye. He stuck out his hand, and Jace shook it.

“I’m Simon. You must be Jace! Magnus told me about you.” He said, grinning widely. “C’mon, let’s get back to my station.” He said, leading Jace deeper into the shop.

He didn’t let go of Jace’s hand until they were back at his station.

“Do you have your design with you, or any idea what you want?” Simon asked, gesturing for Jace to sit on the table as he sat on his own stool.

“Uh, I have an idea, and Magnus told me you could do it. I want to get a ring of peonies right around here.” Jace said, gesturing to his mid forearm.

“Cool. Black and white?” Simon asked. Jace nodded. “Sweet. I’ll sketch it out, transfer it, and we’ll get to tattooing!”

The session lasted four hours. It was a pretty basic design, and it wasn’t super high detail. Simon wrapped it and handed Jace some aftercare supplies and a list of instructions on how to care for it. He ran through the steps with Jace and answered the few questions Jace had.

He paid the man at the front, who rolled his eyes and muttered something about Magnus.  
**

The second time they met, Simon was rushing in a panic around Jace’s flower shop.

He was mumbling about a girl, staring at the flowers with blank confusion in his eyes.

“Hey, what’s up? Need any help?” Jace asked, wiping his soil stained hands on his apron.

“Um, my sister is on a date with one of her girlfriends and I’m about to crash it. If I bring them flowers, they might not kill me.” He laughed nervously.

“Get them some lily of the valley. It symbolizes a return to happiness, though it’s used as an apology.” Jace said, leading Simon over to a beautiful white plant.

“You’re a light saver. How’s your tattoo healing?” Simon asked as he paid.

“It’s healing pretty good, I think. I’m taking pretty good care of it. It’s still a little itchy, but.” Jace shrugged, offering his arm.

Simon examined the tattoo, lightly tracing his fingers over the ink stained skin. “It’s healing great.” He said with a grin.

He didn’t seem to notice the phone number scribbled on his receipt.  
**  
They settled into a rhythm.

Jace kept going to the DuMort for floral tattoos, always black and white, and always with special meanings. Simon kept coming to The Institute, getting flowers for reference or for his sister. Sometimes, he’d hang out for a bit, asking questions about different flowers and what they mean.

Jace would sometimes hang out with him on their lunch break, chatting and shooting the shit until they had to go back to work.

When Jace mentioned his search for an apartment after a falling out with his family, Simon didn’t hesitate to offer him the spare bedroom at his place.  
**  
“So, I found an apartment. It’s in a really good spot- maybe a five minute walk from the shop.” Jace said one day, laying on the table as Simon worked on his back piece.

“Why do I get the feeling that there’s a but coming?” Simon asked, his voice backed by the gentle hum of the tattoo gun.

“It’s a bit too expensive for me, and Robert and Maryse won’t help me pay for it. I know Alec wanted to move in with Magnus, so I thought we could kill two birds with one stone and get the place together.” He mumbled into his elbow bend, voice nearly drowned out by the steady drone of the needle.

“Why not? I mean, it’ll be closer to work than my current place is, and Magnus isn’t the most considerate roommate, especially when it comes to Alec.” Simon chuckled as he shaded in the branches of the cherry tree on Jace’s back.

“Cool. We can see about getting it approved tomorrow? Or after work today? I got off early since Iz’s watching the shop.” He said.

“Sweet.”  
**  
“So, what flowers are good for healing?” Simon asked, swinging his feet. They were sitting on the roof of Jace’s shop, staring at the few visible stars. The hazy skyline, crowded with sky scrapers, twinkled in the distance.

Jace took a drag from his cigarette. “Green roses, yarrow, peonies. A few others.” He said, blowing out his smoke. “Why are you asking?”

Simon shrugged. “Just curious.” He said, taking a swig from his beer. “What does bamboo mean? You got that last time you were in the shop.”

“Strength. That was right after another fight with Robert and Maryse.” Jace said, tracing the bamboo stalks and blossoms on the back of his hand.

“What was it about? The fight, I mean. If it’s okay for me to ask.” Simon asked, staring at his tattooed knuckles. Jace looked at him, regarded him, before answering.

“Well, I was talking about legally changing my name. They said they didn’t want me to, I stood my ground, and they kicked me out.” Jace took a long, burning drag form his cigarette. “I, uh… I’m genderfluid, and I’m a guy most of the time. They’ll always see me as their little boy, as _Larkin,_ which, by the way, is a terrible fucking name.” He chuckled bitterly. “They don’t believe that I’m a guy since I still wear dresses and makeup and soft colors They think I’m either masculine as hell and a guy, or feminine and a girl. I can’t be both in their eyes.”

He fell silent, smoking and drinking. He refused to look at Simon, a tension buried in his shoulders.

“Oh. I’m trans, and I had the same struggle with my mom. She didn’t want me going on T and getting surgery and stuff. I was able to convince her, though. There aren’t a lot of resources for Jewish trans kids, so it took me a while to find my footing.” He said, taking another sip of beer. It had long since gone lukewarm, but Simon couldn’t bring himself to care.

“They adopted me when I was 10. They knew my dad before he went off the rails, and took me in when he died. They seemed ecstatic to have another son. I mean, they still do, but only some of the time. I didn’t want to tell them for a long time. I saw how they reacted when Izzy and Alec came out, and they didn’t take that well. Old money, old values, I guess.” He chewed on his cheek. “Eventually I did come out. That was when they first threatened to kick me out. Then they threatened it again when I brought a boy home for the first time. Then again when I went to college for music. And finally, when I started talking about changing my name, they actually kicked me out.”

He was quiet, staring into the distance, his gaze hollow. He was smoking a cigarette that was no longer lit, ash falling against his purple jeans. His pink hair was falling in his eyes, and he didn’t seem like he was going to move it.

Simon brushed it aside for him.

“Hey.” He whispered, tossing his arms around Jace. The older boy looked at him, bicolored eyes tired. “If they don’t accept you for you, then fuck ‘em. Who needs parents? You’re what, 23?” Jace nodded. “You don’t need them. Losing a parent sucks, especially if it’s by some sort of falling out. Believe me, I know. Still, you have friends that support you, family that supports you.” Simon fell quiet, his strangled voice dying off, content to just hold Jace. “You have me.”

The startled, shocked look that Jace sent him broke his heart.  
**  
“Hey, Si, let’s go out tonight.” Jace said, stepping into the living room. Simon looked up from the TV, pausing his game as he did so. His voice and breath died in his throat.

Jace was wearing a soft pink skater skirt, along with a pair of floral stockings. A pastel green button up was peeking out of his yellow sweater. His hair was ruffled gently, a few daisies weaved into the cotton candy strands. A pair of pale blue Doc Martins caused his steps to thud against the hard wood floor.

“Y-yeah, sure.” Simon answered, his voice unsteady. A thick blush settled over his cheeks, burning over his skin.

Jace grinned.

“Sweet! We can go to Pandemonium, get some drinks, maybe say hi to Mags.” He said, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

Simon’s heart fluttered in his chest.

The walk to Pandemonium was about ten minutes. Jace, for once, was the one that talked the whole time, chatting about the pair of kittens that had been sleeping in the shop the past few days, how Clary was going to dye his hair again, how Izzy took him shopping, how Lydia did his makeup.

The club was within eyeshot when they showed up.

It was a group of frat boys, drunk and loud and aggressive. Simon could hear them all the way down the block. Fear immediately shot through him. He remembered having to deal with guys like these when he was in college, barely transitioned and barely passing.

“Wow, look at these two fags.” One of them slurred, his words barely intelligible.

Simon felt Jace bristle next to him. He saw his friend’s grasp tighten on the hem of his skirt, knuckles turning white as he gripped the cotton.

“Look at this tranny, wearing a skirt.” Another laughed, taking a step closer to Jace. Taunting words were leaving their lips, but Simon could no longer hear them. His vision was tinged red, and tears were pricking at the back of his eyes.

“Aw, look, he’s gonna fucking cry. What a little baby.” A third interjected, shoving Simon.

Jace swung.

His fist connected, his ring digging into the meat of one of the guys’ jaws. The guy stumbled backwards, holding his jaw. They looked at him blankly. Another rushed him, fists clenched, ready to fight.

Jace levelled him.

Simon watched, frozen in fear and awe as Jace fought them off, four against one. Maybe it was their inebriation, or Jace’s muscle and anger, but Jace was whooping their asses.

“Fucking sissy!” One of them spat, taking another swing at Jace. Jace dodged and swept his feet out from under him.

“Shut the fuck up.” Jace hissed, spitting out blood.

He turned and grabbed Simon’s hand. “C’mon, let’s get home.”

He didn’t let go of Simon until they got home.  
**  
The next morning, Simon found Jace sitting on their balcony.

His hair wasn’t brushed, tangled and wild with sleep. He was wearing his pajamas, a pink alpaca kigurumi that Simon got him for his birthday, the hood pulled up over his head. He was on the hammock, staring out at the city in silence.

“Hey Jace. How’d you sleep?” Simon asked, sitting in the chair next to him. He was wearing his own pajamas- which weren’t nearly as warm as Jace’s- hair tousled and glasses askew.

“Didn’t. Got an hour or two. Just… couldn’t.” Jace mumbled, curling in on himself.

Simon could see the bruised knuckled peeking out of the sleeves, the bruise blossoming on his jaw. His eyes were bloodshot and sunk in, dark circles hanging from them. They were dull and tired.

“C’mere.” Simon said softly, holding out a hand. Jace looked at him for a moment before grabbing it, allowing Simon to pull him to his feet.

He led Jace to his room and pointed to the pillow fort he’d made on his bed. Jace looked at him skeptically before climbing into the fort. Simon handed him his favorite blanket.

“Get comfy. I’ll be right back.” He said, waiting for Jace to nod before he left the room.

He came back a few moments later, holding two mugs. He handed one to Jace, who sniffed it cautiously before taking a sip.

“That’s peanut butter hot chocolate. I’ve got some cinnamon cider if you want some.” Simon said as he crawled onto the bed. He settled next to Jace, burrowing under the blankets and into the pillows.

“Wanna watch some shitty romance movies and Mystery Science Theatre 3000 it?” He asked, carefully pulling his laptop onto his lap.

“Sure.” Jace said, his voice hoarse. He cradled the cup to his chest, holding the warmth deep in his chest.

They ended up watching This Means War, which, to be fair, is a movie deserving a title better than ‘shitty’. Still, it manages to make Jace laugh, smiling into his peanut butter hot cocoa, leaning against Simon’s chest.

After two movies and a mug of cocoa, Jace fell asleep, cushioned against Simon.  
**  
“Go out with me.”

To be fair, Simon wasn’t planning on saying that. At all. By any stretch of the imagination.

Still, it comes out, during a nine hour long tattooing session. Simon was working on the large piece on Jace’s right thigh, a large bushel of white, yellow, peach, and green roses. It was the first color tattoo Jace had gotten from him, and Simon was determined to make it perfect.

Still, tattooing a very attractive person’s thigh is pretty difficult when you’ve just accidentally asked them out.

A thick silence blanketed the room, only broken by the buzz of the tattoo gun. Simon’s breathing was stilted, panic coursing through his veins.

“Okay.” Jace answered, an underlying eagerness coloring his voice.

Simon froze. He sat up, removing the needle from Jace’s thigh. He set the gun down on the table next to him, his hands shaking too much to keep going.

“Are… are you serious?” Simon asked, his voice trembling.

Jace nodded, his heterochromatic eyes boring into Simon’s. his fingers were resting on Simon’s forearm, tapping against the Harley Quinn tattoo there. “I mean, yeah. I-if you want.” Jace stuttered, withdrawing his fingers.

Simon placed a hand on his elbow.

“Of course. I didn’t mean for that to come out, but I really wanted to ask you. I never would have asked otherwise.” He laughed, his voice slightly steadier.

Jace giggled. “That’s probably true.” He said, smiling that lopsided grin of his.

They sat like that, staring at each other, Jace’s skirt sitting around his ankles, for way longer than either of them would have liked to admit.

“Can I kiss you?” “Let me kiss you.”

They said it at the same time, blushing and nervous as they looked at each other.

They burst out laughing.

“Seriously though, can I kiss you?” Simon asked, his fingers digging into Jace’s elbow. He nodded aggressively, lavender hair fluttering into his eyes.

Simon stood shakily, his hands resting on Jace’s bare shoulders. He had to crane his neck to reach the other’s lips, which were painted a gorgeous coral. The kiss was careful, stilted, hesitant. Neither of them wanted to fuck it up.

Jace tasted like peanut butter hot cocoa and cinnamon gum. His fingers were gripping Simon’s hips, digging into the cotton of his shirt. Simon’s fingers had come up to tangle in Jace’s hair, the soft purple strands like silk on his fingers.

The kiss, which was tentative, lasted only a few seconds. Still, it felt like hours to them, the soft music flowing from Simon’s phone filling their heads.

They pulled apart, Jace carefully licking his lips.

“That was nice.” He whispered, his breath hitting Simon’s lips.

“Yeah.”

“We should go on a date. Just. At some point in time.” Jace said, grinning. He pressed his forehead against Simon’s, his arms wrapping around his waist.

“Come on, get back to tattooing. This rosebush isn’t gonna finish itself.” Jace joked, pushing Simon back into his chair. He rolled his eyes and picked up his tattoo gun.

If Jace brings Simon flowers for every date, anniversary, or holiday, Simon just finds it endearing.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm restingwitxhface on Tumblr! Come bug me!


End file.
